Question
I live in Chicago. I plant my tomatoes every year in different spot of my garden. Everything it is OK  for about have time of growing. After that time lives start furling. Than they shrivel.
After a while tomatoes are dying. I tried a lot of different chemicals each year but really nothing works. I think I will lose them again this year.
Please help me save my favorite vegetables.
Wacek.  

Answer
Excess fertilizing, especially with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as standard Miracle-Gro, can cause the type of symptoms you have described. The high nitrogen levels can adversely affect the foliage on young seedlings and the high salt content in most synthetic fertilizers can result in root burn.  My advice, especially while the plants are still young, is to fertilize once every 14 days at half strength to prevent excess salt buildup in the soil.

Another option is to purchase a water soluble fertilizer recommended specifically for tomatoes.  Miracle-Gro makes such a product, as does Peter's and Schultz.  These tend to be higher in phosphorus and potassium which are essential for good production and larger fruits.

Overwatering can definitely cause leaf curl on tomatoes. This is especially prevalent when using containers with poor drainage.  The result is poor root development, and nutrients being leached from the soil.  Make sure you supplement the plants with 1.5?of water per week by watering very deeply once or twice per week.  More may be required during periods of drought.  Shallow watering causes the roots to reach for the surface instead of deep into the soil.  The result is weakened plants with little
or no harvest.

One other possibility is that plant has become root bound. Tomatoes should be transplanted twice to larger pots prior to planting in the garden. They are one of the few plants that actually thrive when transplanted. They also should be planted several inches deeper each time.  This allows the
bottom of their stems to produce root nodules that result in a stockier and stronger plant.  It will also aid in increasing the harvest once the plant begins producing.

Finally, make sure the plants are well mulched with either straw or aged grass clippings.  This will help retain moisture while keeping the roots cool.  Next year, work in as much organic matter as possible to the soil. This would include humus, compost, and manure.  And make sure you rotate the plants to an entirely different bed using a three year cycle to prevent soil borne diseases from affecting next year's plants.

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike